Monday 9th June

Sunday we set sail from Sivota on Lefkas intending to head for Pera Pigadhi known locally as "Rat Island" of the south west coast of Ithica. We called in to Limeni Bay near Frikes for a swim and met up with the German couple who were launching their boat from Paleros when we we put Bhyer Rose in the water, it was nice to see them again and have a chat. After a swim we sailed over to Frikes and got a few provisions then were on our way south again.

The weather was glorious, hot and sunny but very little wind until late afternoon when it started to kick in around Vathi. We were just getting going when the wind swung from the northwest to the south east and we could see a huge thunderstorm on the horizon moving towards us. In a matter of 10 minutes the wind went from a steady force 2 to a good force 4 with gusts probably around force 5 and lots of whitecaps. We went from no reefs to two in about 10 minutes and had a cracking blast back back towards Vathi thinking it would better to put into somewhere with a proper quay than a mooring on a deserted island.

Good decision as although the thunder storm passed over us after a while it rained until late into the evening and was much more comfortable in Vathi.

Sunday morning I got the guitar out and had a strum whilst Sam walked into Vathi for food, I got a round of applause of the local fishermen who were checking their nets just a bit along from us and had a nice chat with a chap from Birmingham who was sailing with his family about music as we shared similar tastes.

We set off late morning and Sam decided to wash his smalls as we sailed into Sarakiniko Bay on the south east corner of Ithica, the rock formations around the entrance were quite impressive.

We had to motor quite a bit of the way as very little wind until we got to the bottom end of Ithica when it kicked in and we had a decent sail across to Sami on Kephalonia. We gilled about for a while off Sami giving Sam the opportunity to try dropping the sails and putting the fenders out as if he were single handed and found it worked well and was much easier to manage the boat by hoving to.

We moored up in Sami, a nice little town that has become the main ferry port now since the 1953 earthquake when it used to be across the bay at Eufimia.

Looks like this might be the last time I undertake an adventure like this on my own as spoke with Mrs Payne today who said I've been away too long and won't get another pass like this again. I'm not sorry though as I am missing her and the family a lot now. It's all well and good updating on blogs and e-mailing each other but it is no substitute for actually giving someone a hug and talking to them face to face or just being there with them. Still only a week now till I get the ferry back to Ancona and meet up with Viv to travel back via Austria for a short break.

I have just had an offer to come back to the bar I am in with my guitar later this evening and play if I want, tempting.